People Whose Reputations Would be Improved by Death

Saepe Fidelis

A response to this thread but obviously the reverse: people whose reputations would be completely different had they died earlier than they did IOTL.

I'm going to go with the obvious and say Hitler in 1939. Now that's out the way, I'll also say Thatcher. Had she died in 1983 before the Falklands then she'd probably be considered one of the world PMs of modern British history...but she didn't.
 

TheSevenLeggedFallyDowner

Well, if Bush had been assassinated in late 2002 or early 2003, I could see him becoming a Kennedy-like figure in many people's minds. Lowered taxes, helped the nation weather a great tragedy and presided over the successful invasion of Afghanistan (which went great at first and then went south under President Cheney). Sounds like a great resume.
 
Germaniac

Germaniac

Donor
Marshal Petain of France. Had he died in 1938 he would still be considered a national hero, however he suffered from a quite obvious case of the livedtoolongs
 

PoorBoy

Robert Mugabe: Freedom Fighter.
Osama bin Laden: Killed by Soviets.
Yasser Arafat: between 1993 and 1997
 

Whanztastic

Now this is an interesting question!

- George Lucas dies the day after the premier of Return of the Jedi

- Marlon Brando dying young would have the 'James Dean effect'

- Howard Dean assassinated right before his 'Dean Scream', he'd be known as "The Man Who Could've Beat Bush"

- Basically any music/movie star dying before they overstay their welcome/'sell out'/'get ugly' (not to be cynical), for example, Britney Spears
 

King Henry

Had Mao died right after the civil war, he`d be remembered as a national unifier and patriot, as opposed to the guy with one of the highest death tolls to his name in history.
 

Antipater

If Benedict Arnold died at, or immediately after the Battle of Saratoga, I think he would be up there with Nathaniel Hale as a hero of the American Revolution in the US. Washington especially would have mourned his passing, and I'm sure people would be writing TLs with him surviving and ending the Revolutionary War early, serving as president, etc.
 

The Oncoming Storm

Had Anthony Eden died as a result of his botched 1953 gall bladder op that IOTL left him weakened and a Benzedrine addict, he would most likely be remembered as Britain's greatest PM who never was primarily as a result of his opposition to appeasement and his service as Foreign Secretary during the War. In contrast Harold Macmillan could well have been seen as the PM responsible for national humiliation over Suez.
 
Last edited:

The Admiral Hook

Michael Jackson after "Off The Wall" or "Thriller". Same fan adoration, same "we grew up with Michael" thing. No weird nose and child abuse allegations.

This thread is depressing.
 

Hyperbolus

Tito: dieing 10-15 years earlier might have given sufficient time for a stable succession to be devised in Yugoslavia.
honorable mention- Edmund Ironside: KIA late in WWI as a mid level officer, remembered as an outstanding all-around soldier rather than an over-promoted (Marshall) Blimp.
 

Know Nothing

Ludendorff. His reputation as the mastermind of Germany during WWI would only be enhanced if his post-war buffoonery had not happened.
 

vultan

Harold Stassen in the mid-to-late 50s. He won't be remembered as a half-delusional, consistent loser at least.
 
Cook

Cook

Banned
Benito Mussolini: If he died 1935 history would remember him as the man who stood up to Hitler when the rest of Europe cowered.
 

Doctor Imperialism

Probably Hitler before the invasion of poland. People would see him as the man that united Germany and Austria, regained the Sudentland, etc. His Anti-Semitism hadn't quite manifested itself fully, either, so the public would probably glaze over that.
 

Antipater

Woodrow Wilson. If the man had died of his stroke on October 2, 1919, his reputation among scholars and the general public could be a lot better. The Senate may have rejected the League of Nations, or more likely approved it with reservations (specifically, requiring Congressional approval to go to war). Rather than being remembered as a stubborn idealist who fell short due to his obstinacy, he would probably be seen as more of a tragic figure, who died at the height of his power.
 
Aelita

Aelita

Stalin, if he died before the Great Purge would be remembered a modernizing leader and revolutionary hero.

Chilling thought really.
 
Cook

Cook

Banned
Rman96 said:
Probably Hitler before the invasion of poland. People would see him as the man that united Germany and Austria, regained the Sudentland, etc. His Anti-Semitism hadn't quite manifested itself fully, either, so the public would probably glaze over that.
Click to expand...

He Anti-Semitism was well and truly manifest by the time of the Anschluss. I think people would look on him and think, ‘Wow, we dodged a bullet there, that nut would have taken us to war!’
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top